The city council of the Israeli city of Haifa has unanimously voted for the official recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and the construction of a memorial to the victims in the city.

Haifa has now become the second city in Israel to recognize the Armenian Genocide after Petah Tikva (east of Tel Aviv), where a memorial to the victims was erected in April 2020.

The Turkish Ambassador to Israel, meanwhile, has demanded that the country’s government ban the erection of the monument in Haifa.

In a conversation with RUSARMINFO, Israeli political scientist, ex-member of the Knesset Alexander Tsinker said that the Israeli Foreign Ministry has decided to leave the letter of the Turkish ambassador unanswered, as “they had reason to do so”.

Israel has not yet recognized the Armenian Genocide. Despite the fact that a bill on recognition has been repeatedly submitted to the Knesset for consideration, it has always been rejected after lengthy discussions.